CNN
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Kevin Spacey has taken the stand as the primary witness in his personal protection within the sexual misconduct trial in opposition to him, introduced by actor Anthony Rapp.
In a response to the primary query from his legal professional, Jay Barron, Spacey stated Rapp’s allegations aren’t true.
Earlier, attorneys for actor Anthony Rapp completed presenting their case in opposition to Spacey.
Rapp, finest identified for his position in “Star Trek: Discovery,” claims that in 1986, Spacey, then 26, invited Rapp, then 14, to his Manhattan house the place he picked Rapp up, laid him down on his mattress, grabbed his buttocks and pressed his groin into Rapp’s physique with out his consent. He’s suing Spacey for battery.
In a serious victory for Spacey on Monday, Choose Lewis Kaplan granted a protection request to dismiss a declare of intentional infliction of emotional misery. Rapp’s lawyer tried to persuade Kaplan to maintain it in, however Kaplan stated no.
Kaplan beforehand dismissed an assault declare on this case in June.
Rapp’s lawyer had no remark about Monday’s ruling.
Spacey’s attorneys have tried to poke holes in Rapp’s claims by pointing to discrepancies, together with dates Rapp claimed to have run into Spacey at business occasions.
Earlier than ending his time on the stand final week, Rapp’s legal professional Peter Saghir requested the actor if he had been mendacity about his allegations in opposition to Spacey.
“I’ve not. It was one thing that occurred to me that was not okay,” Rapp testified.
In Spacey’s testimony Monday, he additionally denied allegations made by Andrew Holtzman, who was referred to as to the stand earlier within the trial for Rapp’s staff.
Holtzman publicly alleged in 2017 that Spacey had grabbed his crotch and pressed his physique in opposition to him with out his consent, which Spacey denied on the stand.
When requested by his legal professional, Spacey testified in courtroom that he’s all the time been non-public about his life and his upbringing. He stated his late father was a White supremacist and neo-Nazi, a reality he testified he’s by no means disclosed publicly earlier than.
His father’s prejudicial views fostered his “intolerance” to bigotry, he stated, and in addition, partially, stored him from publicly acknowledging he’s homosexual sooner.
Spacey criticized Rapp for calling him a “fraud” in an interview for not popping out as homosexual till 2017.
Spacey stated he grappled together with his sexuality as a result of his father used derogatory language about being homosexual and towards Spacey’s curiosity in theater.
He needed followers to recollect the roles he’s performed, so he purposely stored quiet about his private life, Spacey testified.